As Becky Watson prepared for the lunch crowd at the diner, her mind couldn’t erase the events of the morning. She wished she could have spoken with Mr. Fredricks a while longer. He and his two sons seemed genuinely concerned about Collin Anderson’s absence, even though they had never met the man. A noise at the back door drew her attention back to the present. 

"Hello there, Homer," the woman smiled warmly at the homeless man, "Come on inside and have a seat." She pushed open the screen door and led the man to a stool near her work counter in the kitchen of the diner. 

Homer Chotto looked into Miss Becky’s hazel eyes and knew he could trust this woman, as she sat a cup of fresh coffee in front of the man. 

"Lunch is almost ready," Becky said, "And I’ve got a pot of that white chili you love cookin’ up right now! You can have the very first helpin’." 

Homer smiled to himself, thinking about those tasty navy beans, tender chunks of chicken, and spices in a creamy white broth. Miss Becky made the best white chili in all of Colorado. Then, Homer remembered why he had come to the diner. He’d waited until he saw Miss Becky return from her drive with Deputy Benson. His eyes locked on to the deep red hair of the woman working at the stove. 

"Miss Becky?" he began in a hesitating voice, "I-I saw s-somethin’ awful at the Hiller Ranch." 

Becky stopped stirring the pot on the stove. Homer Chotto was a drifter and usually kept to himself. It wasn’t like him to tell tales or gossip. In fact, he rarely spoke to anyone in town. For him to strike up a conversation about something he saw...Becky had a bad feeling that what the old man had to say was very important. 

"The Hiller Ranch?" Becky questioned, "You been beddin’ down out there, Homer?" 

"Was gonna’," the man nervously glanced at the back door, "But somethin’ bad happened out there. There’s...blood...and..." 

The screen door swung open with a bang as Deputy Stu Downing walked into the diner’s kitchen. Homer stared at the officer for a brief moment, and then let his eyes drop to his coffee cup, not saying another word. 

"’Noon Miss Becky," Downing smiled at the attractive woman, "Got a lunch order here from the Sheriff for his office crew."  

Becky took the paper from the man’s hand, giving him a brief smile. She never liked Downing; he looked like a sly fox with his dark eyes, reddish-brown hair and long nose. She suspected that Homer wasn’t particularly fond of the officer either, and that was why he had suddenly become silent. 

"I’ll have this order up in a jiffy," Becky said, "Why don’t you get yourself a root beer and wait in the diner, Deputy?" 

"Well I don’t know ‘bout that," the deputy grinned, "Kinda like the view back here better!" 

Becky felt her cheeks grow red as she began assembling the sandwiches. She ignored the comment and Downing’s leering glances in her direction. 

"Tell ya what," Deputy Downing said, fixing his eyes on the old Indian again, "I’ll mosey back to the office and come back here in about 15 minutes or so. How’d that be?"

"Just fine," Becky replied, anxious to be rid of the man. 

Suddenly, Homer Chotto got up from his stool and dashed out the back door before either Becky or the deputy could stop him. 

* * * 

Joe Hardy couldn’t help but wish they were on the Wagner Ranch for other reasons. The 250-acre spread was beautiful, and the Rockies could be seen surrounding the ranch. Both Frank and Joe noticed the buildings were in need of repair, but otherwise, the place was picture perfect. 

Mr. Wagner led them on foot to a small trailer near a fence. A sign on the door read, ‘Ranch Foreman’. From the fence, the Hardy boys and their father could see the large horse stable in the distance. There was a large paddock and several small arena areas fenced off. Further out, beyond the stable, was a large field where several horses could be seen grazing. 

Mr. Wagner knocked on the office door and opened it as a voice called out, ‘Enter!’ The Hardys followed Travis Wagner into the small office and noticed a man in his late fifties sitting behind a desk. He looked up from his paperwork and, noticing his boss, immediately stood up. 

"What can I do for you, Mr. Wagner?" Lance Mc Intyre asked, glancing quickly at the man and two boys that stood with his employer. 

"I’d like you to show these two young men around the ranch and the stable," Mr. Wagner stated, nodding toward Frank and Joe, "These are the Fredricks boys, Frank and Joe. They’ll be working here this summer, starting Monday mornin’." Wagner went on to explain what each boy would be doing so Mr. Mc Intyre would know which areas they needed to see.  

"After the tour, let the boys saddle up on Ginger and Buckwheat," the rancher said, "They can enjoy a ride out to the edge of our range. Mr. Fredricks," he continued, addressing Fenton Hardy, "If you’ll follow me back to the house, we’ll discuss the boys work schedule, salary and a few benefits I offer." 

"I’ll leave you all now in Lance’s capable hands," Travis said, before leaving the trailer. 

Both Frank and Joe noticed a slight frown cross Lance Mc Intyre’s face as his employer left.

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The Hardy Boys Fan Fiction authors of the Hardy Detective Agency have just borrowed them for an adventure or two. The authors promise to put the boys back when they are done with them. The authors do claim copyright to the original characters in this story. Please do not borrow original characters without express permission of the authors.